Long-time Kenai Middle School history teacher Bob Summer died on June 3, 2023 of cancer. Former students say he was a huge figure in the peninsula's community, spreading his knowledge and kindness through several generations.
Summer taught eighth grade at Kenai Middle School before his passing. Until the end, he made promises not to retire for students who wished to experience his fabled U.S. history class. During a memorial service for Summer on June 17, John Hosby said Summer was known for always valuing time.
“Someone once mentioned to him he was living on borrowed time. Being so grateful for the life he had, Bob corrected him and said he was living on bonus time,” Hosby said.
A student of Summer's last ever class, Bennet Smith, said Summer had a special way of storytelling.
”He wouldn't tell things about his personal life, except for very few occasions, but when those occasions occurred everyone listened, and everyone would be interested,” Smith said.
Smith said every item in his room held some history to it.
“The class itself had a lots of different arranged pieces of items that Mr. Summer himself has collected over his long lasting life. Like, he always had stuff on his desk that always had a story to it,” Smith said. “He always had something from somewhere that most of us wouldn’t have ever known about. Overall, he had a very decorative room, which really reflected on his personality.”
Another one of Mr. Summer's students, Austin Thompson, added on with one of Summer's philosophies.
“He did not like slackers, I can tell you that. He would make sure everybody learned something,” Thompson said.
Russelle Wilson took Summer’s class more than 30 years ago.
“He was just a good person,” Wilson said. “He spoke highly of people, but he didn't take sh*t. He taught eighth graders, ya know? He was not going to do that.”
Wilson said Summer was very clever with his words, and gave plenty of respect as well as attention. He was known to be someone that wouldn’t be manipulated or taken advantage of in any way, yet still loved to kid around. During the memorial, a parent who once chaperoned for Summer told a story about his reaction to a loud baby on a flight.
“What came out of his mouth shocked me. He said to the kids in the loudest voice, ‘Raise your hands if you think those parents need a spanking.’ And everybody raised their hands,” she said.
According to another memorial presenter, Summer loved his students so much he had a small box filled with students’ names and a little personal note to help remember every student who went into his class.
Wilson said Summer remembered her years after her class.
“I remember driving by and seeing his coat. He always wore like a big orange coat with some sort of flannel,” she said. “I pulled up next to him and asked, ‘Why hello sir, why are you walking in the middle of the road?’ And he was like ‘Russelle Wilson! How are you?’”
Summer was a very passionate teacher and had a good sense of humor, Wilson said.
“I was standing right behind him and he turns around and he's all proud and was like, ‘So, what did you guys think?’ I am just coughing and waving this plume of smoke from my face and I was like, ‘History stinks.’ He got such a kick out of that, that on his picture — he had pictures on the wall of himself — and one of them was of a big huge musket firing it off, with a little quote. ‘History stinks: Russelle Wilson.’”
She said Summer forged his own musket balls to fire in front of the class, to show off how the weapon was used.
Austin Thompson recalled Summer’s unique sense of humor.
“Well, one day he showed up and he was like, ‘Hey wanna see my open heart surgery?’ And just left it on for us to see. It was something,” Thompson said.
Former students continue to reminisce about Summer’s witty and bold personality. Thompson said to be Summer’s student was a distinct experience, especially his musket shooting demonstration at the end of the year.
And Wilson said Summer was able to have a lasting impact.
“I really had a lot of fun with him over the years. That's why I choose not to think that he even passed away,” she said. “Because not only does that remind me that was 30 years ago, but also that, I haven't seen him in so long, I can't wait to see him again, ya know? I'll look forward to that.”
